Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1887-01-26
European war rumors overshadewed all
other topics in New York last Monday.
A Successful R0ckbridge Industry.

On Wednesday, Dec. 22nd, accompanied
by Mrs. Boude, the editor of this paper
visited the Vesuvius Pillow Factory, owned
and operated by Messrs. Fl. F. Lyle & Co,
and got good dinner and spent pleasant
day at the hospitable home of Mr.. w. S.
HUMPHREYS, the junior member of the firm.
The occasion was she holiday ''blew out" of
the foundry. They will suspend work for
a few weeks during the severe weather, but
meanwhile, they will get things in order for
operation as soon as the freeze is over.
This is an old and successful establish
ment. One secret of their success is, they
do not undertake to do everything. They
make plews, and they sell plows. They
have their business under their own eyes.
Mr.. HUMPHREYS superintends the manufac-
ture, is foreman in the true sense, not
''boss" but foreman in the whole working
sales and business department..
They work eight regular hands, and often
require a number of others for special out
side work. They make three casts week,
melting about 5000 pounds of metal at a
east and making about 400 pieces, mainly
pillow castings. Their plews are of their
own pattern, with chilled points In addi-
ton to these. they make points for several
of the other chilled plows in use.
In stocking their plows, they select the
best timber and season it for two years be-
fore it ia used.
They are we'll located for the shipment Of
their goods. They are in sight of Vesuvius
Station. on the Shenandoah Valley Rail
road, and ship their plows to all points on
that road from Hagerstown to Chattanooga.
On the B. & o., they ship from Lexington
to Harper's Ferry; CA the G & o., from
Richmond to Kanawha Falls; and on the
Va. Midland, from Lynehburg to Warren
ton. They have an immense hillside-plow
trade in West Va. Their plows are sold at
from 81 to SO, and when price and quality
are considered in comparison with other
makes, the Vesuvius plow often finds
market where the price shuts the others
out.
The dinner given on that day was com
plimentary to the employees of the concern.
In addition to these, there were present two
veteran foundryrnen, both Rsck bridge men,
MIR. Ellis Wright, who worked in Nc
Gowns foundry on South River as far back
as 1910, aud who did the moulding for the
first Livingston pillow ever made in the
county, and Mr.. John w. Cash, who spent
years at the business. first at Bradley's
foundry and afterward at Lyle's.
The employees of this establishment are
men Of intelligence and sterling character,
trained mechanics who live in the imme-
date nsighborhood. It is peculiarly home
affair. They use Virginia pig iron, buying
up the old scraps that are lying about in the
way around about every barn and grauary
in the county, melt them over and make
them useful.
After dinner we jotted down these notes,
had some music and a pleasant CHAT went
up stairs and saw the twin babies, promised
to go back when the weather got warmer
and baptize them, hurried back to the train
and home again, feeling that such day of
respite from the tolls and perplexities Of an
editors sanctum is like an oasis in the des-
ri. -Rockbridgs County News.